Rural New Home Build—School Me Up

[JLS]

Roger, I have never built a house. My only experience is remodeling existing construction

 

[Wildabeest]

You have 2 years to undermine the HOA and get it dissolved, that will solve approximately 50% of all the grief that could possibly happen in a project

Or you could not have one and stroke a huge check yourself every time you need road maintenance. Trust me, I just did that. $10,000 worth of work split between 4 property owners because none of the other freeloaders up there would chip in. HOA’s can be a pain in the ass, but not having them can be a pain in the ass (and the wallet) as well.

 

[bigjohn]

I'm kind of a DIY guy. I built a house for my family in 1977, subbing out only a few things. I then planted an orchard on the property. When the trees started bearing, I built a 7000 square foot building with a commercial bakery, walkin cooler, a sales area and a gift shop. Over the years I came up with a saying for any project that I did: It's going to take longer than you think, it will cost more than you planned and it won't be as much fun as you thought it would be. A few years ago, my wife came to me and said that she wanted a new house off the farm. It seems that it had to do with too many stuffed animals in her living room. We found a nice 4 acre lot and she picked out a floor plan. When I saw it I knew I wasn't going to build it, so we ended up going with a contractor. I was there every day, excluding hunting seasons. We had a number of do overs and it took forever. When it was over I found that working with a contractor was the same as DIY, it took longer than we thought, it cost more than we planned and wasn't as fun as we hoped!

 

[LandPro]

First time they don’t show up or call, fire them and start over.

A lot of good advice offered here, but I'm thinking this might be the best. I've built 3 and the last we used a GC and it was the worst. His only goal was to drive cost as high as possible. Should've fired him 6 weeks before I did.

 

[MTGomer]

Modulars are a 100% no-go in this HOA. My mom was on the HOA board for a couple years and it came up a lot. Otherwise, we'd be looking into it. Thanks though!

Have you looked the CCR over closely?

almost every one I’ve seen allows for temporary use of a mobile during construction/18 months etc..

I’m not doubting you, but if you haven’t looked at the CCR closely to see if it addresses temporary use during construction, I’d definitely take a second look.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Have you looked the CCR over closely?

almost every one I’ve seen allows for temporary use of a mobile during construction/18 months etc..

I’m not doubting you, but if you haven’t looked at the CCR closely to see if it addresses temporary use during construction, I’d definitely take a second look.

Trust me, I’ve read it. These people don’t play.

 

[squirrel]

Look the hammer over closely, the end with the blood and pieces of fingernail??? hold the other end.

Not being able to do it isn't the same as not understanding the process involved, study one phase at a time so it is not so overwhelming. You need to be fluent to have intelligent conversations with the people you are trusting to build your home.

Dirtwork would be a great place to start. If your driveway is soft and needs stone you don't order "gravel" you order "8" gabian" or "2" unwashed" not Pee or 1/2" crushed which just disappears. Learn terms, definitions, uses, Do not assume a general is all-knowing, some are pretty well rounded others are barely fluent in fields other than what they have practiced. Hopefully their phone has the numbers of good competent subs in those areas where they are weak.

In construction birds of a feather do tend to flock together, good generals fire bad subs. Good subs will not make a habit of doing repeat business with idiot generals (but this will depend on how busy they are unfortunately) When you are starving you take the job and buy more shims...

You need basic knowledge of dirt or footer/walls call me Specifics will be tough due to jurisdictions. If you think you know how to build all you have to do is cross the county line and they will be happy to tell you you don't know shit "over hyar"...

 

[rtraverdavis]

Not being able to do it isn't the same as not understanding the process involved, study one phase at a time so it is not so overwhelming. You need to be fluent to have intelligent conversations with the people you are trusting to build your home.

This is something I’m really going to try to do. Great advice—thank you.

 

[BigHornRam]

Doing the work yourself is always less expensive. Well, usually. I don't know of any contractor that has lowered prices. Sometimes finishing something can be a real pain regarding access. Getting material in, electrical and plumbing tie in. All adds up. Trust me I know. Besides doing it for a living, I have an 1800 square foot basement I wish I would have finished when I built. If you are able, do it complete. mtmuley

My current house is #7. I always leave things half done like a basement or barn, ect, so I have something to work on if things get slow. My wife always comments that the only time things get done and look good is right before we sell the place.

 

[SO7mm]

There's been some good advise already. I've been a home builder for 20 years and for the last 8 have been concentrated on building high performance homes. All of the homes I build now are all electric and use zero or very little energy and have great indoor air quality. It doesn't cost that much on the front end to make the house tight and put in the right amount of insulation (as someone already mentioned some of the insulation should be outside of the framing) and good windows. You also need a HVAC sub that actually engineers the system and doesn't oversize it. As far as choosing a good GC I would be much more focused on the type of work they do, feedback from prior customers, and your communication with them than I would the price. I would go for smaller house by a good builder to meet your budget versus a bigger house and a questionable builder.

 

[brnsvllyjohn]

I worked in construction for almost 40 years and I saw a lot of families argue about things that didn't matter a year later.
I helped relatives build new homes and watched a lot of money wasted on changes and luxuries that were not needed.
Some examples.
A jacuzzi in every bathroom. I don't think the ones in the hall baths were ever used.
Changed colors on shower pans 3 times after having them custom made. You bought it.
10,000 for a refer that never worked correctly. Eventually was replaced with something that cost 2,000.
Expensive crown moldings that were changed a couple of times.
Half way through construction change the size of the bathrooms.
Special soffit lighting that I never saw turned on.
Very expensive floor coverings that nobody seemed to care about 2 years after moving in.
The list goes on and on but you get the idea.

I would get a floor plan a stick to it. Don't move walls after you see it framed and now the room looks too small. Don't over spend on expensive appliances or flooring. Get the cabinets and counter tops you like so they will last but fancy moldings can be added anytime.
Build as large a home as you can afford and you can get more square feet if you don't over spend on interior items during the build.

 

[GrantK]

I'm in the construction industry and have built a couple of personal houses, It was said up thread but it bears repeating, get plans nailed down well in advance, the more detailed the better assuming the details are actually buildable... better plans will almost always save you money in the long run, the more clear the drawings the closer to budget things should end up, most good contractors will throw a bunch more on the bid if things are not clear so they don't end up with a pile of change orders, the shiftier ones will likely assume the lowest cost alternative and upcharge for everything to make a livable space, you avoid both of those issues with a good planset and the forethought to make decisions early and stick to them, changes, once walls are standing, are always more expensive...

on the topic of how to get that good planset I generally view spending money on an architect to be a good use of funds, a good architect can avoid a lot of issues, not all house plans you can buy online are well thought out...

also as stated above, hard to go wrong with good windows and good insulation, my utilities are around $60 a month for a 2500SF house year around...

 

[EYJONAS!]

Barndaminium with an extra shop!

 

[rtraverdavis]

Barndaminium with an extra shop!

I'm sure my wife will be tingling with excitement over that idea!

 

[rtraverdavis]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it. You guys have given me a lot to think about--it's been very helpful. We've got a Zoom meeting with a builder tonight to talk basic first steps.

 

[JohnCushman]

When I get my property I'm going to put a singlewide trailer on a cement slab with an addition. To me it seems like the easiest way to go with a home, but it's also just me and my dogs, so size doesn't really matter.

 

[Steiny]

I have 40 years experience as a general contractor, retired a couple years ago. If you don't presently have a relationship with a good builder, you need to locate a good builder via references from a friend, etc. If you don't have any references and are starting from scratch, my advice would be to call the nearby locally owned lumber yard (not Home, Depot, Lowes or Menards), as for the manager of "contractor sales" and talk to him. Give him a brief description of what you intend to do, where it's at, etc. and ask him who he would recommend hiring; somebody that does good work, can handle the entire project, gets jobs done fast, pays his bills, etc. Typically, he will point you towards a good builder or two to call.

Call the guy and set up an interview or meeting. If you like the guy, it would be in your best interest to simply work with this single builder to take care of your entire project. Don't waste his time or your time getting competitive bids as you don't know what you are evaluating anyway. Also, you stand a good chance of losing this guy if you mention bidding, because the good guys have all the work they need.

Start out talking budgetary numbers to see if you are on the same planet financially. If numbers look good, have him put together a written proposal, scope of work and firm price for the project along with anticipated schedule. Make sure you get his insurance certificate and arrange a monthly billing procedure where you only pay for the work put in place each month and never pay the final bill until you have done a walk through and everything is to your satisfaction. If there is some unfinished work, hold some money till finished. The only reasons for change orders or surprise extras should be because you wanted something different than originally quoted, or if the builder ran into something that could not have been foreseen such as bad soils, buried debris, etc.

Unless you already have plans, it is typically best to let the builder just handle everything; design work, permitting, local approvals, all of the subcontractors, etc.
I saw your note about a Zoom meeting. I would strongly recommend face to face introductions and meetings so you can look the guy in the eye and get a better feel for who you are dealing with. Touring one or two of his ongoing or finished projects and / or talking to a couple of his clients is never a bad idea either.

 

[JEL]

My wife and I were going down this road about 4 years ago. Thankfully we happened to find a house and property that checked most of our boxes so we bought that instead. Not sure we could have gotten through the house building process! Makes my head spin.

 

[rtraverdavis]

I have 40 years experience as a general contractor, retired a couple years ago. If you don't presently have a relationship with a good builder, you need to locate a good builder via references from a friend, etc. If you don't have any references and are starting from scratch, my advice would be to call the nearby locally owned lumber yard (not Home, Depot, Lowes or Menards), as for the manager of "contractor sales" and talk to him. Give him a brief description of what you intend to do, where it's at, etc. and ask him who he would recommend hiring; somebody that does good work, can handle the entire project, gets jobs done fast, pays his bills, etc. Typically, he will point you towards a good builder or two to call.

Call the guy and set up an interview or meeting. If you like the guy, it would be in your best interest to simply work with this single builder to take care of your entire project. Don't waste his time or your time getting competitive bids as you don't know what you are evaluating anyway. Also, you stand a good chance of losing this guy if you mention bidding, because the good guys have all the work they need.

Start out talking budgetary numbers to see if you are on the same planet financially. If numbers look good, have him put together a written proposal, scope of work and firm price for the project along with anticipated schedule. Make sure you get his insurance certificate and arrange a monthly billing procedure where you only pay for the work put in place each month and never pay the final bill until you have done a walk through and everything is to your satisfaction. If there is some unfinished work, hold some money till finished. The only reasons for change orders or surprise extras should be because you wanted something different than originally quoted, or if the builder ran into something that could not have been foreseen such as bad soils, buried debris, etc.

Unless you already have plans, it is typically best to let the builder just handle everything; design work, permitting, local approvals, all of the subcontractors, etc.
I saw your note about a Zoom meeting. I would strongly recommend face to face introductions and meetings so you can look the guy in the eye and get a better feel for who you are dealing with. Touring one or two of his ongoing or finished projects and / or talking to a couple of his clients is never a bad idea either.

This is really good stuff. Thank you.

 

[BrentD]

If your drive is "soft", road fabric is your friend, followed by "2" with fines" (our local of 2" unwashed), then 1" with fines or even smaller. Our road rock is mostly crushed limestone, bu your's will be whatever is locally available (it's cheap, it's the hauling that kills your wallet), just start big and then go smaller later (after construction), and again, road fabric will pay for itself if you have soft soils.